Community Development Theory

Words: 1500 (Excluding References) & (In-Text reference is a must)

Reference Style: APA 6^th Edition

Minimum References: minimum 8 references among which 5 should be from the suggested list.

Typing style: The Paper must be typed on a word processor, double line spacing and 12 point font

Question: Matching our ideas about community with community work models/approaches.

“For community development, the integration of theory and practice brings together our theoretical understandings of how society works, and our vision of how we would like it to work, with specific strategies and tasks.” (Kenny 2017)

1. Choose a community from Australia that you would like to work with to address an area of change. Focus on specific geographical area, such as a town, a suburb, or neighbourhood.

1. Discuss the desired change(s) you and the community would like to see and describe how this would occur. Discuss the approach or model of community work that would best achieve this.

Assessment Criteria: The paper will be assessed according to the following criteria

• Clear definition and explanation of your view of a community (Weight: 30%).
• Demonstrates a good understanding of a community work model or approach and how it would help to achieve change (s) (Weight: 30%).
• Critical analysis of the community work model in relation to the tensions, debates and wider theoretical issues in contemporary society (Weight: 20%).
• Quality of writing and presentation (eg. spelling, grammar, punctuation and presentation) (Weight: 10%).
• Correct Referencing (minimum of 8 academic references among which 5 should be from the suggested list of readings, consistent use of a reference system, preferably APA 6th) (Weight: 10%).

Suggested Readings and Learning Materials: Readings should reflect on your assignment

• Twelvetrees, A. (2008). Introduction:  What is Community Work? (Chapter 1) Community Work,4^th Palgrave, Basingstoke. Pages 1-18.
• Hardcastle,Powers and Wenocur (2004) ‘Theory-based, Model-based Community Practice (Chapter 2, pp 33-60)’ in Community Practice: Theories and Skills for Social Workers. 2^ndEd,Oxford University Press, New York.
• Rothman J., (1995) ‘Approaches to Community Intervention’ p26-63 in Jack Rothman and Johan Tropman (eds) Strategies of Community Intervention: Macro Practice, 5th Edn, Peacock, Illinois.
• Stringer, Ernest T (2007) Action Research, 3^rdEdition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. (Chapter 7, Strategic Planning for Sustainable Change and Development, pages 145-167)
• Yeneabat, M &  Butterfield, A.K. (2012)”We can’t eat a road: Asset-Based Community Development and the Gedam Sefer Community Partnership in Ethiopia.” Journal of Community Practice, 20 (1-2),pp 134-153
• Mendes (2002) ‘Social workers and the ethical dilemmas of community action campaigns lessons from the Australian State ofVictoria. Community Development Journal, Vol37, No. 2, April pp 157-166.
• Chaplin, A. (2010)Social movements in Bolivia: from strength to power. Community Development Journal, Vol 45 (3) pp 346-355
• Communities of hope : a strengths-based resource for building community.Wayne McCashen;[commissioned by Anglicare Australia]. – Bendigo, Vic. : St Luke’s Innovative Resources, 2004.
• Wood, J., Savaiano, P (2009) ‘Room to read: the democratization of literacy’ in Stout, C.E. (ed)The new humanitarians: Inspiration, innovations and blueprints for visionaries, Vol 2, Praeger. Westport. pp 15-30.
• Grey, M. & Crofts, P (2008) Social Development and its relevance to Australian Social Work.Australian Social Work.  61, No.1 March.
• Taylor, J., Edwards, J., Champion, S., Cheers,S., Chong, A., Cummins, R and Cheers, B (2012) ‘Towards a Conceptual understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community and Community Functioning’. Community Development Journal, Vol 47 No 1, January 2012. Pp 94-110
• Gilchrist, A. (2009). The well-connected community (Second edition): A networking approach to community development. Bristol, UK: Policy Press at the University of Bristol.
• Ennis, G., & West, D. (2012). Using social network analysis in community development practice and research: a case study. Community Development Journal, 48(1), 40-57.
• Bellis, M. A., Phillips-Howard, P. A., Hughes, K., Hughes, S., Cook, P. A., Morleo, M., … & Jones, L. (2009). Teenage drinking, alcohol availability and pricing: a cross-sectional study of risk and protective factors for alcohol-related harms in school children. BMC Public health, 9(1), 380.

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Example Assignment: The following assignment is just for help and not to be copied from.

This assignment is from another student who gained only 60% marks which is, one of the highest from last year is as this lecturer is very hard to impress. So keeping that in mind you have set the standard of writing and make sure you put more information from the suggested list. (Theories, definitions, what authors suggested and explained, critically analysing community work models theories with your idea and plan, showing that you are also empowering the population of the community you selected):

The word community has numerous meanings and utilities. Normally, communities are viewed as places where people live, thrive and survive; for instance- towns and cities or a small group of people who share certain common beliefs or similar mindset. In either of these circumstances, it is important to view the different communities with respect to the various social relations which are being shared by the people with special emphasis to intimacy, emotionally connect, cohesion with the society at large and the duration of time (Craig et al., 2011). Though the concepts related to the community are mostly used on a wider scale, aspects of community are seldom defined, and whenever done, it is mostly interpreted as adjective or noun. However, community sometimes is also depicted as a possible solution within the society and the entire process for the same is initiated by people at large and is thus a group effort.

The practice of consuming excessive alcohol or in particular, single session unlimited consumption of alcohol which might pose various risks is normally referred to as Binge drinking. The binge drinking poses serious health hazards and has negative consequences for the young mass of the society at large in terms of economic, health and social aspects. The recent times have seen a considerable increase in the rates of alcohol consumption among the Australian youth belonging to 12- 24 years of age group (Chan et al., 2016). Corresponding to this, a number of public health-related policies and initiatives have been made in order to curb the risks which are associated with alcohol consumption. The young Australian mass irrespective or their gender get involved in binge drinking which has created a havoc within the societal mainframe thereby affecting the productivity and the mental attributes of the otherwise young and dynamic workforce. These aspects are pronounced for the urban people though the geographical distribution towards binge drinking by the young people is widely spread across the different places of Australia.

A few interim policies in response to the same include restriction towards access to alcohol, various behavioral levels of interventions, campaigns, and public health awareness to alter the drinking pattern of the young mass. Empirical evidence holds key importance towards successful preventive programs, the engagement of the young people and considering their consent and views during policy framing provides the necessary legitimacy for undergoing further implementation to interventions pertaining to public health.

This essay attempts to suggest and implement constructive public health interventions, and approaches utilizing various community models which will positively affect the issues pertaining to binge drinking amongst the young Australian mass. As opined by Rothman, (Hardcastle et al., 2004), the community development approach coupled with mass mobilization can serve as an effective intervention strategy towards curbing the menace caused by binge drinking.

The community development approach is an excellent measure through which the binge drinking menace can be curbed. One of the successful community development approaches to curb alcoholism include the alcohol action in rural communities (AARC) approach pioneered by researchers from New South Wales and University of Newcastle mediating consultative approach and formation of community-based coalition groups which have the stakeholders as its members along with the mayor or the local representative as the key member. Similar community-based approaches utilizing mass mobilization of the target population can be highly successful as mobilization has been identified as one of the successful traditional forms for community level changes. Mass mobilization programs can be implemented through street plays, advertorial, campaigns in print and electronic media and legally banning advertisements which promote drinking among the target population and discussions related to the possible health hazards can be effective (Bellis et al., 2009).

The integration of the social issues within the community development model can be successfully done by eliciting the level of understanding by the target young population on binge drinking aspects through the use of network diagram method (Ennis and West., 2012). This method is suitable to understand the different health issues along with the corresponding behavior of the target by utilizing an inductive approach which is target centered thereby obtaining a consensus regarding the cause which has emerged during the process.  In the network diagram methodology, a set of individuals from the target population are asked to draw a structure which represents their understanding pertaining to the possible cause of the menace along with the outcome and this is referred to as causal diagram. A composite network diagram regarding binge drinking can be successfully obtained by collating the individual data from the young mass. This forms the consensus or frequency for the possible cause or issue. It is possible to identify more than one path based upon targeted outcomes and thus factorial reciprocal relations are possible. The strength of the different paths mentioned by them is also possible to be measured. So, the strength calculated can be exhibited as an average value corresponding to the factors identified as causes for binge drinking. The final consensus diagram can be obtained by using the different factorial values obtained from individual participants (Keathley et al., 2017). Previously, network diagrams as community development models have been found successful for calculating perceptual crime, health, stress and other factorial cause analysis including terrorism.

Menace related to binge drinking and its implication can be successfully controlled by involving the younger generation of Australia. It is important to logically create awareness related to it through the community development model so that the implications and negative consequences are well understood (Gilchrist., 2009).The success of a program is not restricted to its implementation only, but largely depends upon the way it is being implemented at various regions and based on constructive feedback from stakeholders; minor alterations might be needed to customize the same. In the light of the present situation, network diagrams can be successfully applied to understand and identify the perceptual causes for binge drinking among Australian adolescents and adults in order to design and develop a systematic and structured intervention strategy. The government policy makers should interact with the organizations working in this domain and the target audience for a successful result-oriented implementation.

References:

Bellis, M. A., Phillips-Howard, P. A., Hughes, K., Hughes, S., Cook, P. A., Morleo, M., … & Jones, L. (2009). Teenage drinking, alcohol availability and pricing: a cross-sectional study of risk and protective factors for alcohol-related harms in school children. BMC Public health, 9(1), 380.

Craig, G., Mayo, M., Popple, K., Taylor, M., & Shaw, M. (Eds.). (2011). The community development reader: History, themes and issues. Policy Press.

Chan, G. C., Leung, J. K., Quinn, C., Connor, J. P., Hides, L., Gullo, M. J., … & Hall, W. D. (2016). Trend in alcohol use in Australia over 13 years: has there been a trend reversal?. BMC public health, 16(1), 1070.

Ennis, G., & West, D. (2012). Using social network analysis in community development practice and research: a case study. Community Development Journal, 48(1), 40-57.

Gilchrist, A. (2009). The well-connected community (Second edition): A networking approach to community development. Bristol, UK: Policy Press at the University of Bristol.

Hardcastle, Powers & Wenocur (2004) Theory-based, Model-based Community Practice (Chapter 2, pp 33-60) in Community Practice: Theories and Skills for Social Workers. 2^nd  Ed, Oxford University Press, New York.

Keatley, D. A., Ferguson, E., Lonsdale, A., & Hagger, M. S. (2017). Lay understanding of the causes of binge drinking in the United Kingdom and Australia: a network diagram approach. Health education research, 32(1), 33-47.

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